newbury street guide (2)

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1 | Bostone | Take your favorite childhood pizza-and-sub shop (the one that was on the corner, with the owner named Gus), scrap the checkered linoleum floors, and you’ll get something resembling Bostone. Simply put, this sleek, modern pizzeria dishes out some of the zestiest homemade spinach-and-feta Mediterranean (traditional or Sicilian-style) pizza and eggplant parmigiana we’ve encountered outside of the Boot itself.2 | Cafeteria | Every table on the outdoor patio is the cool kids’ corner, at what is surely the only cafeteria with a valet parking attendant. Boasting some of the more reasonable prices on Newbury Street, Cafeteria puts a few twists on comfort-food standbys, like making meatloaf with grass-fed beef or adding fontina and arugula to its grilled cheese. Cocktails like the Pimm’s-based English Class and the bourbon-and-sherry Librarian keep the scholastic theme

going. This fall an upstairs room and a late-night menu were added.3 | Kashmir Restaurant | This Indian restaurant is as beautifully decorated and designed as the fancy Thai restaurants. And there’s plenty of wham in the food, too, from the samosas and humble vegetarian curries up to the tandoori rack of lamb, which is presented with the chops impaled on swords. The strengths here are tandoori (don’t miss the naan) and creamy sauces with real cilantro.4 | La Voile | The crowd of diners that this cute, basement-level French brasserie attracts should be your first indication that La Voile is the place to go for authentic, top-notch French cuisine. Most of the restaurant’s patrons are French, and so are the staff. No upturned noses here, however. The service is friendly and pleasantly accommodating of menu modifications — an attribute that is notably

rare when it comes to fine French dining. In fact, it’s not uncommon to receive a complimentary round of champagne following a late lunch at La Voile — “just because.” (But you didn’t hear it here!)5 | Sonsie | Even though Boylston Street has been bustling with the additions of Towne and Back Bay Social Club, not to mention the relocation of the Capital Grille, Newbury Street is still home to Sonsie. After 19 years, the Lyons Group’s warmly inviting bistro remains the favorite destination of visiting sports and movie stars. If you’re not too distracted by the sight of celebrities, the open-air front affords some fine rubbernecking at Boston’s best- and, when the weather’s right, least-dressed.6 | Stephanie’s on Newbury | Stephanie’s on Newbury felt like an institution from day one. In summer, its patio is the city’s premiere people-watching destination. Ladies lunch in big sunglasses, chic tourists cluster with shopping bags, and slick business types crowd the tables with their phones — all of Back Bay flocks to Stephanie Sokolove’s “sophisticated comfort food.” This is what everybody wants to eat these days: hearty salads, roast chicken, no-nonsense steaks, towers of onion rings done just right. A remodel in 2000 gave the interior a warm, hotel-bar vibe, keeping the hordes comfortable in the cooler months, as well.7 | Tapeo | Atmosphere is king at this venerable tapas joint. From its petite patio to the tight squeeze of its subterranean bar and dining room (the upper level is a sedate exception), Newbury Street fixture Tapeo cultivates conviviality in fierce fashion: amid brick and copper and painted tiles, and in music-and-sangria-soaked laughter.8 | Thai Basil | This is an underground but elegant effort to sell a consistent Thai menu in the Back Bay — with excellent spring

Diningguide to Newbury Street

10 | L’Aroma | While many cafés have become unofficial branches of the nearest college library, L’Aroma soldiers on without WiFi. The lack of students nursing a single beverage for hours means you can actually grab a table, inside or on the patio, and have a conversation with another human being. Besides the usual array of lattes and reliably fresh pastries, there’s also an especially good hibiscus-tea lemonade for those looking to ease up on their caffeine buzz.11 | Trident Booksellers & Cafe | Trident has been plying its customers with tantalizing tomes (not to mention a stellar magazine rack, brimming with everything from opulent foreign fashion glossies to weirdo niche publications like Howler and Lucky Peach) since 1984. And now this beloved book shop is on the cusp of some big changes. This fall, they’re planning to expand into the second floor — more space for books and cafe seating, not to mention a prime perch for gawking at folks strolling the Newb below.12 | Wired Puppy | This Boston offshoot retains all the charm of the original Cape Cod location. Skip the Starbucks right down the street in favor of this busy little coffee shop where, aside from the free WiFi — hence the name — they boast tasty pastries (including muffins baked in-house), strong espresso drinks (usually topped with the barista’s “signature latte creation” in the foam), and prime seating for relaxing with a cup of joe to people-watch as the Newbury Street crowds go by.

Local Buzz

rolls, and quality across the board, from the tamarind duck to the pretty darn hot “choo chee fisherman.”9 | UMAI | The fact that this bustling little Japanese restaurant offers its lunch special until an unprecedented 5 pm would be enough on its own to make it our go-to sushi joint on Newbury. But UMAI has more to recommend it than extended lunch hours. It has friendly, attentive servers, an interesting menu of sushi rolls, and, most importantly, fresh, tasty fish. Plus, the prices are pleasantly low (for the neighborhood, at least).

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13 | Alex and Ani | It’s hard to overstate the phenomenon that is Alex and Ani. The jeweler has enjoyed explosive growth of late — the color and flair of its bangles, rings, necklaces, earrings, and charms are winning all kinds of new customers. The Rhode Island–based company now has stores in Connecticut, New York, Florida, and Maryland. Bostonians, of course, have easy access at the jeweler’s Newbury Street outpost.14 | Ball and Buck | Since cigar and brandy parlors seem to be going the way of the dinosaurs, impress your pals and plan your next manly meeting at this luxury boutique. Vintage leather furniture and wall-mounted world maps imbue the place with a regal, Moonrise Kingdom vibe, while the impressive stock of American-made dress shirts, denim jeans, boots, and even hunting knives is enough to have your inner gentleman jumping like a long-neck goose.15 | Bobbles & Lace | Formerly situated in the busy heart of the North End, this boutique, one of the small chain’s five New England shops, seems more suited to Newbury Street, where it offers a welcome alternative to the high-end national stores and super-expensive designer shops. Marked by pretty, feminine accents — as the name implies — Bobbles & Lace carries an impressively diverse selection of women’s wear, from gauzy, flowy tops and structured moto jackets to delicate handmade jewelry and unique shoes and handbags.16 | Crush Boutique | More cheery and infectious than a Carly Rae Jepsen tune, and just as effortlessly trendy and youthful, Crush is a pop-song version of a boutique — it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Shopping is supposed to be fun, right? Stop in for slinky silk blouses in every color of the rainbow, chunky knit sweaters, and party dresses in prints from paisley to python. Beaded Daisy Buchanan–inspired tops share the racks with Aztec-print coats, and a full range of accessories and undergarments makes it nearly impossible to walk out empty-handed.17 | Johnny Cupcakes | Johnny Cupcakes is a spunky T-shirt destination that looks less like a clothing store than a bakery for hipsters — hipsters with overactive imaginations and a sweet tooth. Wearing their signature cupcakes-and-crossbones- emblazoned garb, not to mention slogans like “Make Cupcakes Not War,” you can tell the world that you love your peace, pastries,

Fashion

and childhood nostalgia sprinkled with a little bit of rock and roll.18 | LIT Boutique | It’s impossible not to make an impression when dressed in vibrant colors and bold patterns from the kaleidoscopic racks of LIT Boutique. This quaint storefront is known for an eclectic collection of affordable designer dresses and tasteful accessories — an avant-garde answer to mall gaudiness and thrift-store misgivings. Here you’ll find all the fixings for a unique, confident-chic, any-occasion ensemble. Just make sure you wear the clothes — don’t let them wear you.

19 | Riccardi | Riccardi is Boston fashion at its boldest. Importing some of the most fearless designs to Newbury Street for over 30 years, Riccardi offers pieces from fashion’s heavy hitters, such as Rodarte, Givenchy, and Commes des Garçons. Run by an Italian father/son duo (both named Riccardo, of course), Riccardi is responsible for introducing designers like John Galliano and Dolce & Gabbana to the Boston market. Despite being the antithesis of the Boston Brahmin style (which we love them for), Riccardi does offer an impressive collection of super-stylized

23 | The Closet | A sure-fire way to score a one-of-a-kind designer outfit that won’t have you mistaken for a Real Housewife is to make a trip to The Closet. It’s like raiding the wardrobe of your perpetually chic — and super rich — friend. A rack of new arrivals just inside the door sets the tone. There are pre-owned designer threads from the likes of Missoni and Theory, and an impressive cache of belts, boots, and shoes — Prada, Manolo Blahnik, and YSL, oh my! — line the shelves. Gently worn clothing,

shoes, and accessories go for about a third of the original price, or less, and styles vary from classic (Ralph Lauren silk blouses) to edgy (Jeffrey Campbell studded heels).24 | Rescue | A fresh approach to consignment: the shop pays clients upfront for clothes and accessories or gives store credit for buying Rescue’s trendy clothes, bags, belts, and shoes — which include new inventory from designers like Trash and Vaudeville,

Second-handTripp NYC, Alex & Chloe, and In God We Trust.25 | Second Time Around | While some consignment shops treat “vintage” as just so much poundage of used mom-jeans, STA has long been the place to get coveted brand-name jewels at cut rates. As on-it with accessories as they are with all manner of women’s (and men’s) fashions, Second Time is clutch if you’re looking for that Prada bag on a grad student’s budget.

jeans and T-shirts, which means even the most conservative among us should pay Riccardi a visit.20 | Rick Walker’s | This is Austin, not Boston — at least while you’re inside Rick Walker’s temple of all things twangy. The staff may boast of the various rock stars who frequent the boutique, but the framed photo by the door is of Rex Trailer, New England’s legendary TV cowboy. Best known for its vast selection of cowboy (and cowgirl) boots, Rick Walker’s also has enough Western shirts, turquoise belts, and leather jackets to fully outfit any rockabilly musician. And in case you’re looking to get some gateway Western wear for someone who isn’t quite ready for the dusty trails, there are assorted drug rugs near the front.21 | Rockport Concept Store | Shoe aficionados need not sacrifice comfort for style any longer, thanks to Rockport’s shift from strictly functional boat shoes to highly fashionable flats and heels. A welcome addition to Newbury Street’s mixed landscape of chain stores and locally owned boutiques, Rockport is a little bit of both: a Massachusetts-based company with headquarters in Canton and a global reach (it has stores in 66 countries and a solid online presence). Rockport is a go-to for shoes that are current but also transcend trends: think classic loafers updated with a stacked heel and statement hardware, or sleek ankle boots in leopard print.22 | SooDee | Some clothing shops try to be generalists, but the ones you return to time and time again are the ones that exemplify a sense of style that may not appeal to everyone but definitely appeals to you. If you dig the bold colors and forward-thinking styles that this shop’s proprietors dub “the Soodee look,” then a trip to this Back Bay boutique could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

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26 | Aloha Boston Massage | Aloha means “hello.” And “goodbye.” And “Ooh yeah, right there — that’s the spot.” Relaxing, rejuvenating bodywork from Aloha Boston Massage is a pretty good substitute for an expensive winter escape to Maui. Among owner Denise McGarry’s offerings is a 90-minute Lomi-Lomi massage, a traditional Hawaiian approach in which soothing, circular strokes caress the body like lapping waves. Need a mental vacation? Just lei down, and enjoy.27 | Avanti | With hair, bigger isn’t always better. (Junior prom, anyone?) But when Newbury Street fixture Avanti moved to a new, larger location this year, the extra square footage allowed for exciting enhancements, including new services like facials, manicures, waxing, and massage. Plus, the expanded headroom allows for a separate, ventilated area for fume-heavy perm and relaxing treatments. We can’t say the same about our ’90s-era bangs, but in this case big is most definitely beautiful.28 | Barbershop Lounge | A black spiral staircase descends to the floor of Barbershop Lounge, a chill retreat that marries clubby amenities — like flat-screens, a pool table, and leather seating — with irresistible hair services, like coloring, beard and mustache grooming, and of course, a good old-fashioned chop job and shave. If you’re thrilled with your new ’do, the lounge offers annual memberships that include free maintenance between appointments, discounted services, and a license to pop by and, um, lounge during business hours.29 | Bella Santé | It doesn’t just feel good. It isn’t just pleasure. Cleansing, exfoliating, polishing, enveloping, moisturizing,

massaging, rejuvenating — what Bella Santé delivers is relaxation, the rare and treasured experience of calm. Their services aren’t just good for your skin, your circulation, your muscles. To place your back under the pressing hands of one of their magic-workers is to ease your nerves, to press pause on the to-do lists and confusion and stress of your life. A session at Bella Santé makes it all feel — at least for a little while — a little more manageable. It’s not just pampering, it’s self-care.30 | G2O | Billed as the “greenest” spa in the Hub, G2O was designed and assembled with eco-friendly features such as a nifty geothermal heating and cooling system and an open-air lounging deck festooned with some of Mother Nature’s leafiest creations. Inside, the spa offers its visitors irresistable pampering packages that include hair styling and coloring, manicures, pedicures, and even bridal makeup application.31 | I Soci | ’Tis the season for a makeover. Hair styling, straightening, extensions, coloring: if you’re looking to frame your face, I Soci will get you looking picture perfect. Recently, the salon has even partnered with an expert in non-surgical face shaping. (Unlike the hair services, no cutting is required.) And brides-to-be: get thee to I Soci, where bridal hair is something of a signature service.32 | James Joseph Salon | In terms of esteem, James Joseph is the Meryl Streep of Newbury Street: well-established, beloved, and basically a consistent shoo-in for annual awards and “best of” lists. In terms of style, though, it’s something a bit sexier. (Sorry, Meryl.) Staffing this airy, industrial-chic loft is a talented team that’s on top of current trends but trained in classic techniques.

Spa & Beauty

They know how to sculpt red-carpet-ready styles, and will leave you looking “best tressed.”33 | MiniLuxe | Some people jet off to the tropics to revive their stressed-out selves, but some just head over to MiniLuxe for a bit of indulgence. Pamper yourself with a 30-minute basic manicure for $19 or go for an upgrade — a warm-oil manicure, perhaps? Try unwinding with scrubs and massages in their $37 basic pedicure to renew and nourish fatigued feet. Pick from their rainbow assortment of OPI and house-brand polishes at this clean, modern salon for long-lasting, chip-free nails.34 | Salon Eva Michelle | The sleek look of black armchairs, floor-length mirrors, and exposed ventilation ducts characterizes Newbury Street’s Salon Eva Michelle as everything a sexy, chic beauty parlor should be. With walk-in hours and beauticians — that’s “artistic designers” to you — you can’t go wrong by stopping in for a quick $90 haircut. The prices may be steep, but with a design team willing to teach up-and-coming stylists the cutting edge of hair-dos (and don’ts) and a staff dedicated to staying at the forefront of hair fashion, that $60 blow-dry is more than worth it.35 | Salon Monet | Hair extensions are like that first weekend away with a new boyfriend: a serious commitment. We don’t dole out recommendations at will, but the team at Salon Monet get our vote. For that matter, we’d probably take their guy advice, too. It may not have the too-chic-for-words feel of some of its Back Bay neighbors, but we so enjoy the salon’s casual, gossipy vibe — as well as the fact that service doesn’t suffer because of it.


36 | Alan Bilzerian | The perfectly curated windows of Alan Bilzerian’s boutique draw in adventurous types with eclectic taste. Inside, its two floors of men’s and women’s clothing have played host to such famous faces as Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, and Madonna. For nearly 50 years, Alan Bilzerian has attracted celebs and civilians alike with trademark drapey jersey, eccentric shapes, and lots and lots of black from an incredible range of international designers, its eponymous owner included. The perfect mix of moody and ethnic — it’s how we’d imagine the closet of Angelina Jolie, or Captain Jack Sparrow.37 | Britt Ryan | Britt Ryan’s shop is a little oasis of brightly colored whimsy. If the preppy, happy aesthetic of a Lilly Pulitzer ensemble collided with the simple, flattering silhouette of a Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress, it would look a lot like Britt Ryan’s little numbers. The Boston-based designer’s holiday 2012 collection is chock-full of metallic dresses and high-waist, full skirts paired with silk tie-neck tops in black or pink for party-ready perfection.38 | Daniela Corte | Fierce, feminine designs from Daniela Corte have been mainstays of the Boston fashion scene for more than a decade. But last year, she took things up a notch by opening a studio and store on Newbury Street — selling everything from ladylike tailored looks to sexy fruit-printed bikinis that had us squealing during Boston Fashion Week. This Argentinean dynamo spreads the love, too, featuring other designers from her native country and a Boston-based footwear brand in her shop.39 | Emerson | Newbury Street is home to the head offices of Emerson, a Boston-based clothing label that takes pride in its New England roots, but thinks nationally: with an NYC PR team headed by the formidable Kelly Cutrone, Emerson was the only Boston brand to show at New York Fashion Week this year. Designer Jackie Fraser-Swan, a distant relative of Ralph Waldo Emerson, creates clothing for fearless, in-your-face fashion stars. Just a little bit eccentric herself, with purple-streaked hair, Fraser-Swan truly embodies her line, which mixes rich fabrics and expert tailoring with rock-and-roll-meets-romance edge.40 | Firas Yousif Originals | If you attended this year’s Boston Fashion Week, you no doubt are already familiar with Firas Yousif’s glamorous, ethereal formal wear, which was featured in an opening show in the Tent. The Back Bay resident’s design aesthetic is marked by graceful lines and unique accents. He has said that he often listens to opera music while designing his couture wedding gowns and eveningwear — that accounts for the touch of the dramatic in each one-of-a-kind piece.

Designer Spotlight

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41 | Boston Olive Oil Company | If olive oil is the elixir of the gods (and we’re saying it is), the Boston Olive Oil Company shop must be what bars look like in heaven. They stock flavors ranging from mild, early-harvest varietals to robust herbal infusions, and anyone who enters this cozy storefront can experience the subtle nuances of many of them — thanks to an extensive EVOO tasting bar. You’ll find over 50 oils and vinegars available to sample, many flowing from taps of Italian fustis, seven days a week.42 | Fish & Bone | Are you gorging on Whole Foods provisions while feeding your pet a Market Basket diet? That situation can be put right with a visit to Fish & Bone, which offers a wide array of all-natural pet food. And, when it’s time for that grain-free meal to come back out again, you can attach a leash to one of the shop’s chic dog collars and pick up the remains with an eco-friendly poop bag.43 | Fresh | With the clean, polished feel of a minimalist hammam, Fresh’s flagship store has been keeping it fresh on Newbury since the early ’90s. Prepare for hands-on shopping: customers are encouraged to test-drive products, like the brown-sugar body scrub, in the store’s huge sink. A chair at the makeup counter, which stocks a small but solid selection centered on weightless foundations, practically begs you to settle in for a consultation with the on-site beauty specialists.44 | Hempest | Sure, sure, there are going to be some teenagers (with saved-up

Shopping

allowance dollars crumpled up in sweaty palms) who go to The Hempest to surreptitiously pick up those glass pipes. But the true raison d’être of this store is to dress you from head to toe in frigging HEMP — and not dank drug rugs, but stylish jackets, sharp chinos, warm winter coats, and banging Praxis sneaks, all threaded with glorious organic Mother Nature.45 | L.A. Burdick Chocolate | The hot chocolate here is legendary, and the varieties offer a globetrotting taste test of single-source cocoas — Venezuelan, Bolivian, Madagascan, and more. (Screw the diet. Try them all. It’s, uh, research.) Nestle in to the cozy, pleasantly bustling café to make friends with a raspberry tart. And if you trade glances with a sweet, sweater-clad stranger, remember the following icebreaker: “Chocolate Supreme, for two.”46 | Marathon Sports | Unless you’re looking to develop an untimely Ratso Rizzo limp, running any serious road race necessitates plumping for some quality footwear. Luckily, the athletically minded folks at Marathon Sports are always happy to help you navigate their wall of colorful kicks and find the best shoe for your sole, with the aid of a unique, biomechanical process dubbed The Right Fit.47 | Newbury Comics | Records were, initially, a sideline at Newbury Comics — though in the years after punk broke, the store was so widely regarded for its knowledge of indie music that national

chains reputedly spied on its buyers for tips on what to stock. Now that the music industry has fallen apart — and Newbury has outlasted competitors like Tower Records and HMV — records are becoming a sideline again, and owner Mike Dreese has smartly segued from CDs and DVDs into toys, ephemera, and fashion. But a funny thing is happening: vinyl sales are up. They’re prospering online, and the buyers are still reliable tastemakers — which means that their Boston-area stores are still hidden gems, with fun, friendly staff and head-scratching oddities tucked in well-curated bins.48 | Raven Used Books | Proximity to the world’s best universities pays dividends, especially when it comes to used books. All those eggheads selling the Oxford University Press titles they’ve torn through in fits of intellectual ecstasy have enriched Raven Used Books beyond measure. It’s little wonder the store has become a destination for Boston bookhunters. And it doesn’t hurt that they frequently undersell Amazon.49 | Sikara & Co. | The jewelry that fills Sikara’s Newbury store has roots in faraway places. Deriving its name from the Indian word shikara, which means “houseboat,” Sikara, and founder Mousumi Shaw, take customers on a journey to all corners of the world. Each piece of jewelry tells a story, which makes Sikara’s offerings perfect accents for anything from jeans and a T-shirt to a floor-grazing gown.


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newbury street guide (2)

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